Grasping At Love's Last Straws
by Soultra
Summary: Bulma's dead and Vegeta is trying to find a way to cope as he remembers how they first got together. This is sort of a different version of the same old Bulma and Vegeta story. Part 4 is here! Finally finished!!!
1. New Beginnings: Dead Ends

Grasping At Love's Last Straws

Part 1: New Beginnings: Dead Ends

            There had been some concern of rain, but the day awoke bright and clear. The few dark clouds, which had gathered in the easternmost portion of the sky this morning, had broken apart so that the sun could shine down uninterrupted from its appointed place. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After all, if it had rained, they would have had to move the reception indoors.

            Gohan and Videl, newly married, were all smiles at the reception, but Goku couldn't help but notice the nervousness beneath their happy appearance. He had been nervous when he had gotten married to Chichi, but their marriage was a happy one.  Turning towards his wife, he smiled.  Chichi wasn't looking at him. She was watching Gohan, dabbing tears away from her eyes with an already soaked tissue. She had cried throughout the entire service, mumbling about losing her 'baby', (Goten seemed a little upset at that although he was at the age where he no longer wanted to be called a baby) but still seemed pleased about Gohan finding someone like Videl.

            Goku had always liked Videl. She was smart, fairly strong, and brave. Most importantly, she loved Gohan. The first time he had seen them together, Goku knew that she loved his son. And Gohan, despite his original protests, had fallen for Videl. It was a good match.

            Chichi smiled as new tears began to flow down her flushed cheeks. "Oh, Goku isn't it just wonderful!"

            Goku nodded. "Yeah. Gohan was lucky to find someone like Videl."

            "Luck had nothing to do with it!" Chichi announced, "It was fate! Just like us." She smiled up at him and leaned her head over on his arm.

            He wrapped his arm loosely about her shoulders and allowed her to lean against his chest. "Maybe so," he agreed.

            Suddenly Chichi jumped back.  "What if they have kids soon?" she asked, "I'll be a grandmother! Am I really that old?" Tears were streaming again.

            Goku shook his head, answering her question, and in relevance to her mood swings. However, Chichi wasn't satisfied. "That would make you a grandfather, you know," she added.

            This did throw Goku off-guard. When he thought of grandfathers, his mental image was that of his Grandpa Gohan: old and wise. He didn't feel that old or that wise, but still the prospect of being a grandfather didn't sound all that bad. It sounded kind of good, actually.

            Chichi had become more and more concerned about age and appearance lately.  Because he was a Saiyan, Goku didn't outwardly age causing his black spiky hair to remain black and his face unlined with wrinkles. In fact, while out with Gohan the other day, a salesperson had immediately recognized Chichi as his mother, but thought Goku was Gohan's older brother.  Chichi's response was to buy various chemicals, dyes, and solutions that were supposed to make her look younger. Truthfully, Goku couldn't see much difference, but he didn't dare say that to Chichi.

            He was just about to walk over to Krillan, when he felt a faint, yet familiar ki.  Glancing at Piccolo, who had actually attending the affair, he saw him nod. So Piccolo had felt it too. He started away. 

            "Goku?" Chichi called after him, "Where are you going? They're going to be leaving soon?"

            "I'll be right back," Goku responded, trying to smile, "Don't worry." Of course telling Chichi not to worry was like telling a fish not to swim, but Goku didn't have time to think of that now.  Slowly, he flew to the top of a nearby hill and found himself looking at a familiar form. "Hello, Vegeta," he said, landing a few feet away.

            Vegeta turned to look at him, and Goku was surprised and how much his fellow Saiyan had changed over the years. Like Goku, Vegeta's hair was still dark (although his hair was actually a dark brown and not a true black like Goku's) and his face wasn't wrinkled. Yet Vegeta looked old, far beyond his years and Goku was unsure as to how to react.  It looked as if he has lost weight, his angular cheekbones jutting out more than ever. His bloodshot eyes appeared sunken in his pale face and his shoulders seemed slightly rounded and slumped, as if he had been carrying a heavy load for a long time.

            One of the things that had always amazed Goku about Vegeta was his ability to carry himself as if he stood seven feet tall, rather than just a bit over five feet. It was mostly because of the way he could look at you, as if there was raw power burning within his dark eyes that carried an unspeakable intensity. Goku could not have imagined Vegeta without his intense glare, but here he was standing before him, seemingly naked and defenseless. At one time, few could have stood up to Vegeta's power but now it looked as if a strong wind could carry him away.

            "It's been a long time Vegeta," Goku continued, "How are you?"

            Vegeta looked him for a few minutes with his haunted, vacant eyes and Goku couldn't help but remember the last time he had asked Vegeta that same question. Would he respond the same way?

            "Okay," Vegeta said. His voice has lost some of its gruffness as well. "Gohan is married?"

            Goku nodded. "Yeah. To Videl."

            It was Vegeta's turn to nod. "I thought so."

            "She's a good girl," Goku said, trying to keep the conversation going.

            Vegeta snorted. "Amazing considering who her father is."

            Before he could stop himself, Goku laughed a bit. "Yeah, it's amazing." He remembered Mr. Satan from the wedding being his loud obnoxious self. At least, he was spending the money to give Gohan and Videl a nice honeymoon and even offered to help them get their first house. He had his faults, but at least he genuinely cared for his daughter. It was one of his few admirable traits.

            "I didn't see Trunks," Vegeta spoke up suddenly.

            "He didn't come. Dr. Briefs got sick the other day and he's in the hospital."

            "Is he okay?"

            Goku nodded. "The doctors say he'll be fine. He just needs to take some medicine for his heart and quit smoking."

            Vegeta smiled ever so slightly. "It will be hard to imagine Dr. Briefs not smoking."

            "I think Trunks is at Capsule Corp," Goku said, "Why don't you…"

            "I can't," Vegeta interrupted in a soft yet stern tone. "I can't."

            "But why…" Goku began, but a soft rumbling distracted him. Looking up, he saw that the clouds had begun to darken again and was now spreading across the sky steadily.

            "You should go, Kakarott," Vegeta said, "Say goodbye to your son. If you want to talk, we can later. I suspect you want answers and you are entitled to them." He turned as if to go. "Kami knows we all are," he added in a soft tone.  Slowly, he flew away.

            Goku watched him for a moment before hurrying back to the reception. Gohan was just about to leave, but he was in time for a last hug and a wave goodbye. Chichi, who was overcome by tears once more, clung to Goku as Gohan and Videl drove from sight. Goku continued waving, but his mind was elsewhere. What answers did Vegeta have?

            That evening at home, there seem to be an uncommon quietness that had descended upon the Son household. Goten had hurried to his room to change and Goku was doing the same. He couldn't understand how anyone could stand to wear a suit for long. Those things were so uncomfortable. He had just put on his gi when Chichi came to the doorway.

            "Where did you disappear to?" she asked.

            "What?"

            "At the reception. Just before Gohan left, you disappeared for a while. Where were you?"

            Goku was unprepared for the question, but he knew he had to tell Chichi. "I saw Vegeta. Well, actually I sensed him first, but then we talked for a minute."

            Chichi gasped. "Vegeta was there?"

            "Yeah. I think he was watching the wedding."

            "What did he want?" Chichi demanded, her tone growing harsh.

            "I think he was looking for Trunks."

            "Looking for Trunks?" Chichi repeated, "We'll he's doing a lousy job of looking. Last time I checked, the poor kid's still at Capsule Corp right where he abandoned him!""   

"Chichi," Goku said in a soothing tone,  "A lot happened..."       

            "A lot did happen," Chichi interrupted,  "But that's no excuse!" She walked over to Goku. "You know you try to find the best in everyone," she said in a softer tone,  "and that's one of the things I love about you. But sometimes you need to see people for who and what they really are."          

Looking at her directly, Goku asked, "Do you think I'm too soft?"         

"Sometimes. Yes."

He smiled slightly.  "Vegeta always accused me of the same thing."

            "This is different," she insisted, "Why do you feel the need to defend him?"

            "If only you had seen him," Goku responded, "He looked like he needed defending." At that moment, Goku once again sensed Vegeta nearby and knew that the time had come. Quickly saying goodbye to Chichi, he ran outside.                         Vegeta was flying towards the mountains, so Goku followed along. They had both just landed on a ledge, when it began to rain. The rain fell down in quick, icy sheets and soon both Saiyans were soaked to the bone, but Vegeta seemed prepared. Wordlessly, he made his way to a small cave where a pile of wood had been gathered. As Goku said down, Vegeta lit the wood ablaze, the fire's light flickering on the cave walls.

            Neither spoke or moved for several minutes. Finally, Goku broke the silence. "What did you want to tell me?"

            Vegeta stared at the flames, the reflected light causing his face to appear hollower than before. He almost looked like a skeleton sitting there. "I thought you'd like to know," he said, "what happened there in the end. I never stuck around to tell my side and I know that some of the others blame me for what happened."

            "I never thought it was your fault," Goku countered, but he had remembered the conversations of his friends. Some of the HAD blamed Vegeta, at least partly.

            "I didn't think you would," Vegeta responded, attempting to smile.

            Goku returned a weak smile. Chichi's words, about how he always looked for the best in everyone, echoed in his head. "I guess you wouldn't," he finally managed to reply, "but there is something I would like to know."

            "What is it?"

            "How did it all begin? You know – you and Bulma together. I want to know that more than the ending."

            Vegeta looked momentarily surprised. "Yes, I guess this is a mystery of sorts. However," he looked Goku straight in the eye and, for the briefest of moments, Goku saw a tiny flicker of Vegeta's old spirit. "You weren't very surprised to hear about my being with Bulma, were you?"

            Goku shook his head. No, he hadn't been surprised. It had been a bit of a shock the FIRST time he had heard about it, when he had met the Trunks that had traveled from the future, but it made sense long before he saw baby Trunks. Vegeta had never asked him the specifics, but it was obvious he had figured it out.

            Throwing another piece of wood on the fire, Vegeta allowed his gaze to drift back to the flames. "I don't know why I'm telling you this," he said, "I just feel like it needs to be told."

            Vegeta walked down the hallway, wiping the sweat away from his forehead. It had been a good day of training, even though he had yet to reach the level of Super Saiyan. Still, he was confident that it would not be long before he too reached the legendary status.  He was feeling fairly good as he headed towards the bathroom so that he could end this day with a nice, hot shower. He rounded the corner and…

            There stood Bulma and Yamcha, just outside of Bulma's bedroom door. They had been preparing to enter and no doubt had heard him coming. They had probably assumed it was one of the Briefs, which explained why they were standing there with almost guilty looks upon their faces.

            Yamcha face darkened with a mixture of anger and fear.  Vegeta doubted if Yamcha could hate him anymore than he already did, but that didn't concern him. Almost protectively, Yamcha put his hand upon Bulma's upper arm.

            Bulma's expression was hard to read, which confused Vegeta.  There were traces of the same fear and anger he could see in Yamcha's face, but there was something else. What was it?

            Finally, he realized he had been staring at them for a few minutes, so with a loud "humph", he turned and went into the bathroom. What they did was no concern of his.

            He turned the water on the hottest setting and stepped in, turning his back to the water. He had taken showers of all temperatures in his lifetime, but he preferred hot water – and the hotter the better in his opinion.  He stood there, allowing the nearly scorching water to pound upon his neck, shoulders, and back. Usually this helped him to relax, but it seemed to have little effect tonight.  His mind kept going back to Bulma and their little encounter.

            Snorting, he decided to wash his hair so he turned his attention to the six bottles that were on a rack beside him. Two of the bottles were conditioners and one was a body wash, so he looked past those immediately. The first bottle was Head and Shoulders, but Vegeta had never had any real problems with dandruff. The second was supposed to at height and volume to you hair, which was probably the _last thing Vegeta needed in a shampoo. The last one was designed to make ones hair more manageable. Unfortunately, the strange, purple concoction was lilac scented and there was no way he was going to make himself smell like a little, purple flower._

            Bulma would probably find it funny. It would be just like that pink shirt fiasco. Even Kakarott had noticed that shirt. Bulma had probably just given him that shirt to wear so that everyone could have a good laugh.

            Why did all his thoughts return to Bulma? What was it about her that caused him to constantly think of her? He just didn't know, as he turned his attention back to the bottle of Head and Shoulders and lifted the cap to smell the shampoo.

            The shirt probably hadn't been that big of a deal. Even Kakarott had said that the only reason he had said anything was that he had been surprised to see Vegeta in pink. He even went on to add that he himself owned a pink shirt. However, Vegeta was convinced if that was true, Kakarott's _wife had been the one to make that particular purchase and that he could probably count, on one hand, the number of times it had actually been worn._

            The Head and Shoulders had an unpleasant smell – too much like medicine, so Vegeta lifted the cap and smelled the lavender shampoo. It wasn't too bad. The smell was not strong and actually rather pleasant. He poured a generous potion onto his hair and began to work it into a lather.

            Bulma intrigued him. She acted almost as if she was not afraid of even him. She seemed almost as spirited as, well, a Saiyan, yet she was with that pathetic weakling…

            Hold it right there, Vegeta told himself, she is with a weakling because she herself is weak. She is nothing but a human female and should be none of his concern. He rinsed his hair and prepared to lather it again, his mind still consumed with questions.

            When he finished, he stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. The large, bathroom mirror was covered in a fine mist, obscuring his image, but Vegeta took his right hand and wiped a small section clean. His face came into view and he found himself staring into his own dark eyes. He knew his own features well and realized that he would never be considered 'classically handsome', but this was no concern to him. He was a warrior so his looks didn't matter. However, as he studied his reflection, he found himself wishing that his forehead wasn't quite so high, his cheekbones so pointed, and his chin so narrow.

            What was he doing? Concern for physical appearance was for weaklings like that Yamcha.

            Yet there was the way that Bulma looked at Yamcha.

            STOP IT! He barely resisted an urge to smash his fist into the mirror as he slipped his shorts back on. Stepping into the hallway, he went back to his room to try and get some sleep.

            He entered his room without turning on the light, and made his way to the bed. The bed was far softer than he liked but it would do as he lay on his back, staring at the darkened ceiling. Listening to the steady sound of his own breathing, he tried to will himself to sleep.

            After many unsuccessful minutes, he became aware of another sound. Soft, yet unmistakable, it was coming from just outside. Getting out of bed, he crossed the room to open a window and stare out into the dark night.

            He quickly saw the source of the noise: Bulma was sitting in the grass below, softly crying to herself. The nearby outside lights of Capsule Corp fell upon her body, highlighting her form and created a halo about her.  Why was she crying?

            Bulma suddenly stopped and looked up towards Vegeta's window. He stepped back into the dark, confident she couldn't see him as he continued to watch her.

            She looked towards his window for a few more minutes before finally turning away.  Rising slowly, she walked back into Capsule Corp and out of his sight.

            Vegeta also turned away and walked back to his bed. Lying down, his mind finally quieted down enough for him to sleep, but still he couldn't help but wonder: What had made Bulma cry?

The next morning began the same as many before it. Vegeta had been training for a few hours when Mrs. Briefs called to say breakfast he was ready. Mumbling to himself, he left the newly build gravity room and made his way to the kitchen. He had been pushing himself hard, but he just couldn't seem to concentrate on his training. He wouldn't get anywhere at this rate.

            Bulma was already sitting at the table when he arrived. Even with her hair mussed, she was still beautiful. He examined her face, trying to see some trace of her tears, but all he could see was a peculiar shimmer in her eyes. Then, she noticed him looking at her and shot him a nasty face. 

            "What are you looking at?" she said, but he was unable to tell if she was joking or angry. It was strange how she could confuse him the way she did.

            He growled a response and sat down just as Mrs. Briefs sit a steaming pile of food in front of him.

            "Where's Yamcha?" Bulma's mother asked. Vegeta almost choked at the question. It didn't really have any negative effects on his appetite, but why did she have to bring HIM up?

            "He left early this morning," Bulma replied.

            "Early?" You two haven't been fighting again have you?" Mrs. Briefs seemed worried.

            "Of course not, Mother," Bulma replied, seemingly exasperated. Then she smiled, brightly. "He had to leave early because he starts a new job in the city today!"

            "Really?" Mrs. Briefs became excited. "What kind of job?"

            "Physical trainer. But he told the boss that he only wants to work with men because he said that I'm the only woman he wants to touch!"

            Vegeta snorted softly. And she believed him, he thought to himself.

            "Is he allowed to do that?" Mrs. Briefs inquired.

            Bulma nodded. "Only now, he says that the boss thinks he's gay!" She burst into bright, cheery laughter and her mother joined in.

            Vegeta watched silently, knowing that there was more to this than was obvious. After all, he had heard Bulma crying last night and it hadn't been tears of joy. He continued to eat in silence but he was now determined to keep his eye on Bulma.

            The next several weeks passed with a slow regularity. Everyday, Vegeta trained – always trying to push himself passed all limits while Bulma spent her days waiting to hear from Yamcha. He called her every night at first, but that had slowly dwindled down to one call a week. He hadn't come by to visit – he claimed to be to busy. Bulma was convinced one minute he was being unfaithful and the next she was sighing over his absence. 

            There was also another routine that had started: Vegeta and Bulma's daily argument. Actually, they sometimes argued more than just once a day and it was always over nothing important. One day, Bulma had spent an hour ranting and raving because Vegeta had squeezed the toothpaste tube from the top rather than the bottom. She had actually paraded through the house, waving the toothpaste tube about like a banner as she screamed about his "crime." He never knew what would set her off and quickly realized that avoiding her would be the best deterrent.

            But he found himself reluctant to completely avoid her. Their paths rarely crossed anyway with his almost constant training. Besides, sometimes when he was alone with her, she would talk to him. She usually did most of the talking actually, but he would listen, as he studied her beautiful features. This was one of the few things that didn't confuse him. He was a warrior first, that much was definite, but he was still a man and just looking at a beautiful woman had no negative consequences, or so he thought.

            One evening, he finished his training early and decided to head upstairs to grab a bite to eat. He was just rummaging through the refrigerator when Bulma came into the room.  She was wearing a brand new blue dress and seemed happier than she had in days. "What are you doing?" she asked.

            She seemed to be in a good mood, so Vegeta decided to answer. "I was looking for something to eat."

            Smiling, she walked over to him and placed her hand upon his arm. "Sit down. I'm kinda hungry myself so I'll fix something for us both."

            Vegeta sat down, but he looked at her skeptically. "I didn't think you could cook."

            "Well, I can't cook too well," she admitted. "but I'm the Queen of the Microwave!" She stuck one arm in the air in a mock gallant pose beside of the heating machine Vegeta supposed (correctly) was the microwave.

            He chuckled. "Queen, huh? Well then, your Prince is requesting a warm meal." Still sitting, he bowed slightly at the waist.

            She shook her head. "No, if I'm the Queen, then you must be the King! Or," she smiled slightly, "Perhaps I am the Princess." She turned and started looking for some leftovers in the fridge.

            Vegeta was a little surprised. Could it be that Bulma could actually be flirting with him? She was far prettier than any woman he had been with.  He watched her leaning down as she rummaged in the fridge and noticed how much of her legs were being revealed by her short dress. He leaned over slightly, he gaze moving up and down those shapely legs emerging from her blue dress and the sparkling blue eyes of the owner of those legs.

            Eyes? He jumped back, almost causing his chair to tip over when he realized that Bulma was looking at him. She had caught him staring at her legs. Vegeta felt an uncomfortable warmth in his cheeks and he realized that he was blushing. He turned away quickly, hoping Bulma hadn't noticed.

            "What were you doing?" she asked.

            "Nothing," Vegeta immediately responded.

            She smiled and walked over closer. "You were checking out my legs, weren't you?" Vegeta didn't respond. A denial would have been in vain at this point. "That's okay," Bulma continued, "You get used to it when you're beautiful."

            "No one would be looking if you didn't have it on display!" Vegeta shot back.

            "So you admit you were looking," Bulma said.

            Vegeta was left without a response. He felt the flush return to his cheeks, so he turned away. How was he expected not to look?

            Bulma began whistling cheerfully as she put some food in the microwave.  "Food will be done soon," she sang out.  "Sorry our microwave is so slow. You would think that here of all places we have a great microwave, but we don't. Dad keeps meaning to build a new one, but his mind is always so full of ideas he never seems to get around to it. I guess I could build a new one, but you know how it is." She sat down beside him, her gaze still on the microwave. "Dad is scatterbrained but I love him. What was your father like?

            Vegeta spun around to face him, so surprised by the question he forgot he was aggravated with her.  "I don't really remember him too much," he admitted, frankly.

            "How old were you when you saw him last?"

            Vegeta shrugged. "I'm not sure. I wasn't very old, but I didn't exactly celebrate birthdays. Plus, the span of one year varies from place to place. If I had to guess I would say I was about 5 Earth years."

            "That young?" Bulma seemed shocked. Of course, that made sense. Vegeta was that much older than Goku and, if she accepted the idea that Planet Vegeta was destroyed just after Goku was sent to Earth, than the timeline seem to fit together. "How sad," Bulma added. "Do you remember anything about your father?"

            Vegeta seemed reflective. "He was tall," he said. Then, a slight smile softened his features. "I suppose that sounds like a ridiculous thing to say. After all, when you're a child, everything looks bigger. Still, that's how I remember him. I would have to crane my head all the way back just to see his face. He seemed like a mountain to me – tall and immovable."

            Bulma smiled. "You miss him, don't you?" she asked.

            "Of course not," Vegeta responded, "I am a warrior. I can not waste my time worry about those who have fallen." He looked at Bulma, but she didn't seem convinced of his statement. That was no surprise considering he was still trying to convince himself it was the truth.

            The microwave 'dinged', so Bulma went to retrieve their dinners. Vegeta was in no mood to talk any more and it seemed that Bulma felt the same way.  They ate in silence, barely glancing at each other.  Vegeta felt unsure why he had told Bulma so much about his past. Perhaps it was because she had actually asked.

            She finished eating before he did and left the kitchen silently.  Vegeta heard her talking to her mother saying that she was not feeling well and she was going to go on to bed.  Vegeta was unsure what he would do for the rest of the afternoon. Perhaps he would also retire early so he could get an early start on training the next morning. He placed the dishes in the sink and walked upstairs. For some reason, he felt more at ease than he had in months.

            Bulma was standing beside her bedroom door, leaning against the wall. At first, Vegeta thought that she might be ill, until he heard a soft, familiar noise. She was crying. "Bulma?" he inquired, walking towards her.

            Bulma turned around slowly, tears streaking down her face. Some tears dripped off her chin and unto the carpeted floor while others gathered at the corner of her lips. She moved her mouth as if to say something, but no sound came forth.

            Vegeta stepped closer and put his arms upon her shoulders. "Are you okay?" he asked.

            Her next move caught Vegeta by surprise. Without warning, she stepped forward and leaned her face towards his. It was as if she meant to kiss him. Closing his eyes, he leaned towards her.

            SMACK! Her right hand came up and slapped Vegeta across the face. It didn't hurt, but he couldn't stand to be hit in the face. He grabbed her right wrist angrily, but was still careful not to be too rough. He could break her wrist all too easy if he wasn't careful. Her left hand came up as to also slap him, but he was prepared this time. Easily, he caught her left wrist before it made contact with his face.

            He stood there for a few minutes, holding her wrists as he stared down into her face. She closed her eyes again and leaned forward, he didn't respond at first. Not until she touched his lips with hers. The kiss was brief, but Vegeta could taste the salt of tears.  What had just happened? He let go of her wrists and encircled her waist and she placed her hands upon his shoulders. 

            Vegeta made the first move this time, as he brought his lips to hers. He had planned to kiss her longer, but he felt her moving away, or at least trying to, so he stepped back. He could have restrained her easily, but didn't really want to force himself upon her. She stared at him, her blue eyes wide and frightened. It was as if she had never seen him before in her life. Then, her eyes seem to slide behind her eyelids as she collapsed.

            He caught her before he hit the floor, but had no idea what to do. Finally, he decided to put her in her bed and then tell the Briefs that something was wrong with Bulma. He carried her easily and gently placed her in bed. Turning away, he started downstairs.

            "Vegeta," she called out softly. She opened her eyes, but still only seemed semi-conscious.

            "Yes," he said, walking back towards her.

            "Don't go."

            "What?"

            "Don't go," she repeated, "I don't want to be alone. I need to be with someone."

            "I don't understand," Vegeta began.

            "I can't really explain right now," Bulma replied, "but please stay with me. Just hold me for a while. That's all I need." She closed her eyes.

            Vegeta was beyond confused. Should he go and talk to her parents, or do as Bulma requested? Finally, he slipped into the bed beside her, his head and shoulders resting against the headboard. She snuggled up beside him and placed her head upon his chest. Hesitantly, he laid his arm around her shoulders.

            "Thank you," she said softly, "Oh, by the way, your hair smells nice. Did you use the lilac shampoo?"

            "Maybe," he replied, trying not to smile, "Bulma?"

            "Hmm," she murmured.

            "Why did you kiss me?"

            She mumbled something that he couldn't understand. He looked down and realized that she had fallen asleep. "Good night, Bulma," he said. He pushed a stray hair back behind her ear, amazed at the softness of her skin. There was something pleasant about lying here with her, but Vegeta was still confused. One minute, it was as if Bulma wanted to be with him and the next she didn't.  Were all human females like this? Shaking his head, he closed his eyes. He would worry about those things in the morning.

            Vegeta awoke when the sunlight fell upon his face and he looked about the unfamiliar. At first, he didn't know where he was, but the pleasant weight of Bulma by his side, quickly reminded. He looked down at her, still sleeping soundly as he listened to the steady sound her breathing. A part of him could have stared there much longer just looking at her, but he had training to do. He couldn't allow himself to be soft now, yet he still moved away from Bulma as gently as he could so he wouldn't wake her.

            That morning's training was a combination of the best and the worst. For the most part, he was more focused than he had been in years as he found himself moving farther than he could have dreamed. Yet other times, he found himself pausing to think reflectively the events of last night. He could still imagine the way she had looked and the way her kiss had felt.

            When he caught his mind wandering, he would force himself to train even harder as if to purge the thoughts from his mind. He was a warrior and he could not allow himself to be distracted by even the most beautiful of women.  Sweat was pouring off of him by the time breakfast had been prepared.

            Bulma was not at the table when he arrived, which was unusual.  "Where's Bulma?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

            "She left early this morning," Mrs. Briefs responded, "I think her and Yamcha are fighting again."

            "Such a shame," Mr. Briefs said, over a cup of coffee, "He's seems like such a nice young man."

            "They've been fighting?" Vegeta questioned.

            "That's all I can figure out," Mrs. Briefs explained, "Last night, Yamcha came by. It was just after Bulma went to bed. I told him to go on up. He hadn't been gone but a minute when he ran back down here and out the front door. I yelled after him, but he didn't seem to hear me.

            "Then, this morning, I asked Bulma what had happened. When I reminded her about Yamcha going up to her room, she just got so pale. She got dressed and hurried off."

            "I never saw that girl get ready so fast," Dr. Briefs mumbled, "She usually spends at least an hour on her hair."

            "Well a girl has to look good when she goes out," Mrs. Briefs said. She placed the food on the table. "Are you alright Vegeta? You look kind of sick all of a sudden. Do you have a fever?" She started to place her hand on his forehead.

            Vegeta jerked away. "I'm fine," he said.  Without touching his food, he hurried away from the table and back to the gravity room. His heart suddenly felt like it had dropped into his stomach.

            Last night, Yamcha must have seen Vegeta in Bulma's bedroom. Although anyone could have seen they had both been fully clothed, that idiot had no doubt thought the worst. Now, Bulma was out trying to patch things up with that pretty-boy boyfriend of hers. He should have expected as much, so why was it tearing him apart inside? It wasn't as if he had developed feelings for her. Except for two short kisses, he hadn't really even touched her.

            Yet, he realized he must feel something for her or this wouldn't be affected him this much. This realization caused rage to surge within him. He had allowed himself to become weak and sentimental, so he deserved this pain. He would survive and become stronger and know that he mustn't allow himself to be infected but such weakness again.

            He trained, although by now his concentration was horrible. Krillan would almost have a chance of defeating him in his current state. Which, of course, meant he would have no chance against Kakarott and his Super Saiyan abilities. He cursed his lack of concentration, the unfairness of the universe, Kakarott, Yamcha…everything and everyone except Bulma. 

            A few hours went by before Bulma finally returned. He knew she was back, although he had not been told by anyone. He just knew. Almost shaking with emotions, he made his way upstairs where he knew he find Bulma. She was in her room, but he didn't take time to knock and she didn't seem particularly surprised to see him. She was crying again, and a part of him felt pleased to see her tears. But another part of him…

            "What happened?" he demanded, coldly.

            Bulma looked at him directly. Despite the tears streaming down her face, her expression was calm.  She merely shook her head.

            "What did Yamcha say?" he continued.

            She gasped. "How did you…"

            "I'm not an idiot, Bulma!" he shot back, "It didn't take a genius to figure out where you ran off to this morning."

            "So you know," she said softly, lowering her eyes.

            "And now you're crying. So what happened? Didn't he believe you when you told him what happened?"

            "Vegeta," Bulma began.

            "And now he no longer wants to continue with the relationship," Vegeta interrupted, "Is that it?"

            "Vegeta," Bulma repeated, her voice rising slightly, "You don't understand."

            "What don't I understand?"

            She took a deep breath. "I went there to break up with Yamcha."

            Vegeta was completely surprised. "What?" he managed.

            "You are partly right," she continued, "I originally went there to try and convince Yamcha that nothing happened between us last night, but he wouldn't believe me."

            Vegeta smirked. "I didn't think he would."

            "But instead of wanting to break up, he starting saying that he forgave me and that we could make it work. Do you know he came here last night to propose to me?"

            "Propose? What was he going to propose?" Vegeta asked.

            Bulma laughed slightly, which angered Vegeta. She must have seen his anger, so she quickly explained herself. "I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you. I sometimes forget you really haven't lived on Earth all that long." She paused and became serious once more, "He was going to ask me to be his wife."

            Suddenly, Vegeta understood what she was saying. "Are you serious?"

            She nodded. "Yes. When it went to his apartment, he was mad at first but then he kept going on about forgiving me. That made me mad, but all at once he dropped down on one knee and asked me to marry him. He even had a ring. He told me that's why he had come here last night."

            "But you told him no?" Vegeta was growing more amazed by the second.

            "Yes. It would have been wrong for me to say yes. Part of me wanted to accept, but I just knew that I couldn't." She stood up to look Vegeta in the face. "You have no idea what was wrong with me last night, do you?" Vegeta started to shake his head, but she continued without waiting for an answer. "I've been really upset lately. All this stress has drained me mentally and physically. Last night, it was just like my body collapsed under all the pressure."

            "What kind of pressure? What are you talking about?"

            Bulma tried to smile, but it was a failed attempt. "I met Yamcha when I was sixteen. I had been looking for the 'perfect boyfriend' at the time. That's why I originally went looking for the dragon balls. Did you know that? No, of course you didn't. Anyway, I met Yamcha and at the time he seemed, well, perfect. I haven't really dated anyone since." She laughed bitterly. "I don't know why I'm telling you this. I know you don't want to hear it." A few new tears coursed down her face.

            "I did care for Yamcha and I still do in a way. Almost all my friends and my parents seem to think that we were meant to be. But, there was something they didn't know: I wasn't in love with Yamcha. I may have been at one time. I don't know, but I slowly realized I didn't love him. Do you know how bad it makes you feel to continually find yourself failing at a relationship that's 'meant to be'?  I had found my soul mate, but I couldn't love him.

            "I found myself trying to push Yamcha away. I was always accusing him of cheating on me, and I think I was trying to make him break up with me so the failed relationship wouldn't be my fault."

            "But, wasn't he unfaithful?" Vegeta asked.

            "Not to my knowledge. The few times he dated someone else, we were already separated.  Of course, I never really admitted that." She sighed. "Then, when he asked me to marry him today I knew that we couldn't go on. I wouldn't be alone if I married him and our friends would be happy, but it would be a lie."

            "So, why did you come to me last night?" Vegeta demanded, "Was that another one of your schemes to end the relationship? Did you think that if he thought you were being unfaithful, he would finally end it?"

            Bulma looked at him, a surprised look on her face. "No," she said, "last night I just needed to be with someone. I won't deny that I wanted that someone to be you, however."

            "But, why?"

            She put her arms around his back and laid her head upon his chest. "I was hurting and I knew how you've been hurt…"

            He pushed her away from him. "I'm not hurt!" he insisted, "I'm strong and I have no need for foolish emotions."

            "You are strong," she said, "You don't seem to need anyone or anything." She stepped forward. "But that doesn't mean you haven't been hurt."

            "I'm not hurt," he repeated, but his tone had lost some of its edge.

            Smiling, she put her arms around him once more and moved back into her former position. "Whatever you say," she replied, softly.

            He stood there for a few minutes before wrapping his arms loosely around her. A part of him wanted to remain like this forever…

            Goku watched the dying flames as Vegeta finished telling his story. Never in his life could Goku had imagined Vegeta being so brutally honest about his emotions, but this man before him was not the Vegeta he knew once upon a time. This was merely a shell.  Goku wanted to say something, but he didn't know what he could say.

            "Is that what you wanted to hear?" Vegeta asked, "That is the beginning."

            "Thank you," Goku managed, "Yamcha did tell me later that Bulma had broken up with him because of you, but I don't think I ever really believed that."

            Vegeta nodded and almost managed a smile. "He never would believe that Bulma and me never did anything that night."

            "She loved you, you know," Goku said softly.

            Vegeta's eyes begin to shimmer, and Goku thought for a moment that he was going to cry.  He blinked a few times before turning back towards Goku. "I heard a saying once. I'm not sure if it was a movie, or a show, or maybe just one of the stupid commercials. Anyway, it went, 'It is better to have love and lost than to have never loved at all.'"

            Goku nodded. "Yeah, I've heard it before too."

            "It's crap."

            "What?"

            "It's crap," Vegeta repeated in a quiet tone, "Look at me if you don't believe it. Look at what I've become. If I had never loved or lost do you think I would be the wreck I am now?"

            "No, I think you'd be dead," Goku admitted.

            "And would that be worse?" Vegeta asked, "Would it? Besides, do you really think that I'm alive?" He sighed deeply. "And now we come to the ending," he announced.

            Goku stood up, "I have to go now," he said, "I'm sorry."

            "What's wrong?"

            "I don't want to hear the ending," Goku admitted, "I remember most of what happened. I don't want to relive it." He started towards the entrance of the cave. "You should go see Trunks," he said.

            Vegeta shook his head slowly. "I don't think that would be a good idea," he said.

            "At least think about it," Goku insisted, "I hope to see you around soon." He left the cave and flew back towards his house. The rain had slacked off to a light, cold drizzle and Goku thought that the first thing he wanted to do when he got back home was to change into some dry clothes. He paused and turned to look back at the cave, "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I just can't hear about the ending right now."

            Turning away again, his mind became consumed with memories.

            "Hey, dad! I bet you can't catch me!" Goten called out, running.

            "You just wait!" Goku yelled out, running after his young son. 

Gohan stood to the side watching. "He's pretty fast, Dad!" he yelled, "You'll have to run faster than that to catch him."

Goku finally caught up to Goten and playfully tackled him in the soft, summer grass. Goten collapsed with laughter as Goku tickled him.  "You got me! You got me!" he squealed. "Now, let's catch Gohan!" 

"Oh no you don't!" Gohan insisted, "I have homework to do and…"

"One, two, three. Go!" Goku cried. After "go" Goten and him began to chase Gohan around the yard.

"No fair!" Gohan yelled, teasing, "Two against one!"

Goku was still running when he heard the phone rang, but it never entered him mind to stop the game. Chichi would answer the phone and tell him if it was anything important. A few minutes passed and Goku and Goten had just tackled Gohan when Chichi stepped outside.

"Chichi is something wrong," Goku asked, noticing the expression on Chichi's face.

"That was Mrs. Briefs," Chichi said, slowly.

"What's going on, Mom?" Gohan asked.

Tears formed in Chichi's eyes as she nodded. "It's Bulma. They said she's dead."

Goku stood staring at her, his mind refusing to comprehend what she had said. That couldn't be right. Bulma couldn't be dead. She couldn't be. Chichi said they should drive over to Capsule Corp immediately and Goku nodded. Goten suggested flying, but Chichi said that driving would be more respectful.

Krillan, 18, Master Roshi, and Yamcha were already at Capsule Crop by the time the Son family arrived. They were gathered in the front room, along with the Briefs and Trunks, silently grieving.  Mrs. Briefs was sitting on the sofa, quietly stroking Trunks' hair. The boy's face was pale, except for his red-rimmed eyes.  His bottom lip was quivering.  

It seemed that Bulma had suddenly suffered a heart attack. There had been no warning signs and her death had caught them all by surprise. Unfortunately, her death hadn't been the only tragedy.

She was pregnant.

The doctor said it looked like she was almost two months along, so she probably had known.

Vegeta, his face pale like his son's, came into the room, but it seemed as if he didn't notice the others. He walked like a blind man and Goku could see the hurt clearly written in his features. 

Goku walked over to him. "How are you?"

Vegeta looked up as if he had just noticed that Goku was standing there.  He moved his mouth a few times, but made no sound. Quickly he turned away and Goku noticed that he was carrying the dragon radar in his hand.

"What are you doing with the dragon radar?" Goku asked.

"Isn't it obvious," Vegeta said, in a coarse tone, "I'm going to find the dragon balls and wish Bulma back to life."

"You can't do that," Gohan said softly.

"Why not?" Vegeta demanded.

"The dragon can't bring people back to life who died of natural causes," Goku explained.

"What? But there has to be a way of bringing there back, isn't there?" Vegeta seemed desperate.

Tears had formed in Goku's eyes as he shook his head.

"Her death couldn't have been natural!" Vegeta raved, "It couldn't have been! You'll see!"

"Vegeta," Goku said softly, "I'm sorry." He reached out to place his hand of Vegeta's shoulder.

Vegeta shook off Goku's hand. With a roar, he slammed the dragon radar onto the floor and smashed the device. Without looking back, he ran from Capsule Corp and flew away.

            And he hadn't returned.  New tears formed in Goku's eyes just as his house came into view. He had been dead before, but Bulma's death was hard to accept. He had chosen his destiny, but she had no chose in the matter. She had died without warning and without a way to bring her back.  She had left behind a son and a broken man who had truly loved her. Plus, there had been the unborn child she had been carrying. There had just been so much tragedy.

            He quickly wiped away the tears as he entered his house. It was late and Goten and Gohan were already asleep, but Chichi had been waiting for him.  "You were gone a long time," she greeted.

            Goku shrugged. "Vegeta wanted to talk," he answered.

            "About what."

            "He told me about him and Bulma first got together."

            Chichi snorted. "You mean about how they had an affair? I can't believe you spend all this time listening to such a sordid tale."

            Chichi continued to complain, but Goku found himself smiling slightly.  He could tell her the truth, but she probably wouldn't believe him. Just as Yamcha had never believed Bulma.

End of Part I 


	2. Memories Only Wished Forgotten

Part 2: Memories Only Wished To Be Forgotten 

            Vegeta didn't get up to watch Kakarott leave. He sat in the same position as before, his eyes focused on the dying embers before him and the final wisps of smoke. So, Kakarott didn't want to hear about the end. He couldn't really blame him. At one time, he would have at least feigned anger, but the time for charades had passed. He only wished that he could block out what happened so easily, but the memories constantly haunted him – lingering like the wisps of smoke from a fire not quite burnt out. Sighing, he tried to focus his mind on a better time: a time before his life had ended along with Bulma's.

************

            "I just don't get it, Bulma!" Yamcha yelled, "Why did you do it? Were you just trying to hurt me?"

            "For the last time," Bulma responded, loudly, "Nothing happened! Nada! Zip! Zero! Zilch! Nothing!"

            "And I'm supposed to believe that? I saw him in bed with you!"

            "I told you what happened!"

            Vegeta heard the argument clearly, although he wasn't eavesdropping. A person would have to be nearly deaf not to hear it. Besides, he didn't even have to listen to know exactly what was being said because the same argument had been going on for 3 days now. If the gravity room wasn't temporarily out of order, he could have avoided this annoyance all together. But the gravity room was broken and it seemed like Dr. Briefs was taking his own sweet time about fixing it. Of course, the room had been Bulma's creation, but she was too distracted by Yamcha to do anything about it. Vegeta supposed that he could train somewhere else until the gravity room was fixed, but a small part of him felt reluctant about leaving. Shaking his head, he made his way to the kitchen, where the argument was taking place.

            He walked up behind Yamcha, who was too busy yelling to notice his presence, but he and Bulma had a clear view of each other. Vegeta felt himself grow angry when he saw that she was about to cry. However, when Bulma caught sight of him, a peculiar sparkle twinkled in her sapphire eyes.

            "Besides," she said, interrupting Yamcha's last rant, "What would it matter to you if I had slept with Vegeta? You hadn't even called me for over a week. Maybe I was lonely." She smiled slightly.

            Yamcha gasped. "What?" he managed.

            Vegeta's eyes had widened with surprise. Without knowing it, he had leaned forward slightly, also eager to hear Bulma's answer.

            "You heard me," Bulma responded, a triumphant tone in her voice, "What if I had slept with Vegeta? What would be the big deal?"

            "But, it's Vegeta!" Yamcha cried, "Why with him? He's nothing but a killer! A short, ugly, stupid…"

            "Uh, Yamcha," Bulma spoke up.

            "What?"

            "I think that maybe you should turn around."

            Yamcha paused for a moment as if confused. Finally, he slowly turned around, and paled when he noticed Vegeta standing there. A slow, evil smirk took possession of his mouth as Yamcha's eyes began to grow wide. Meanwhile, Bulma was biting her lip to keep from laughing.

            "I, uh, I mean, uh," Yamcha stammered, "I guess I should be going." Turning quickly, he hurried out the back entrance of Capsule Corp as Bulma burst out laughing.

            "That was classic!" She exclaimed, walking over to Vegeta. "I mean, here you were standing behind him the whole time when he was insulting you. I don't think I've ever seen him so scared." She continued to laugh.

            "I suppose that was a bit humorous," Vegeta agreed, allowing himself to smile a bit.

            "You're smiling," Bulma said, "Not smirking, but an actual smile." She leaned closer, placing her hand upon his arm. "Looks good on you," she purred.

            Suddenly uncomfortable, Vegeta stepped back and shook Bulma's hand from his arm. "Now you can fix the gravity room," he said gruffly.

            "What?"

            "The gravity room," Vegeta repeated, "Fix it. I've been waiting for three days."

            Bulma's face grew dark. "What do I look like: your servant? Fix it yourself!" She turned to walk away. "You are just so impossible at times!" She yelled at him, without turning around.

            "You're one to talk," Vegeta mumbled as she left. Just as he turned to leave, he bumped into Dr. Briefs. "Is the gravity room fixed yet!" he growled.

            "Not quite," Dr. Briefs admitted, "but I should have it all ready for you this evening. Oh, do you know where Bulma is?"

            "She went that way," Vegeta answered, nodding his head in the general direction.

            "Thanks," Dr. Briefs responded distractedly, walking after his daughter. She must have not gone very far, because in a few minutes Vegeta heard her father speak to her.

            "Bulma," Dr. Briefs began, "Your mother and I couldn't help but overhear some of your argument and we were just worried about you and about what Yamcha was saying. Is it true what he said about you and Vegeta? You know that boy is a bit on the unstable side."

            "Father!" Bulma cried out.

            As he walked away, Vegeta couldn't help but laugh to himself. It looks like Bulma's little ordeal was just beginning.

************

            Vegeta trained, sweat pouring from his face and stinging his eyes. The gravity room was finally fixed, but it had taken much longer than expected. It had been three weeks since Dr. Briefs had first told him it would be done by that afternoon. True to his word, Dr. Briefs had started trying to repair the broken gravity machine as soon as he had finished talking with Bulma, but he just couldn't seem to get it to work. Bulma had stopped by for a moment to announce that she knew _exactly what was wrong with the machine and could fix it easily. All Vegeta had to do was to apologize._

            Vegeta had instantly responded that he had no reason to apologize to her and she had gone on her way. This same scenario repeated itself for everyday for three weeks, yet Vegeta would have rather gone without the gravity room forever than to apologize. What did he have to apologize for anyway? Finally Bulma had arrived this morning with a screwdriver in hand. After sending her father away, she opened a panel and fixed the single loose wire that had been causing the problem.

            Unfortunately, Vegeta had been messing with the control buttons earlier, so the machine immediately came on. It was only set to 50 times gravity, which was no problem for Vegeta, but Bulma was a different story. She had immediately been shoved to the floor as the gravity slammed into her body. For a brief instant, Vegeta just watched, both amazed and horrified.

            "Vegeta! Help me!" Bulma had cried with her last ounce of strength.

            At the sound of her cry, Vegeta had been in motion. Quickly, he had turned off the gravity machine and had turned to look at Bulma, who was still lying on the floor. "Are you okay?"

            She had moaned slightly. "It feels like my ribs are broken."

            Vegeta had hovered over her, amazed by her fragileness. "What do you want me to do?"

            "Take me to my room," she had managed before losing consciousness.

            As gently as he could, he had picked her up and carried her to her room. Along the way, he had told Dr. Briefs what happened so that he could contact a doctor. Then, Vegeta had placed Bulma in her bed before returning to the newly fixed gravity room, where he had began training and had yet to stop.

            Vegeta paused in his regimen, as he looked at the door. How was Bulma doing? Surely the doctor had been here by now and seen her. He needed a small break anyhow, so he decided a quick peek at Bulma wouldn't hurt anything. Wiping the sweat from his face with a towel, he made his way upstairs to her room.

            The door was shut. At one time, Vegeta would have just walked in, but now he paused. Softly, he knocked upon the door.

            "Yes," Bulma's voice rang out, "Come on in."

            Vegeta opened the door and stepped into her room. To his relief, she was sitting up in bed, a bright small upon her face. "You appear to be doing okay," he said, as the door shut behind him.

            "I'm fine," she responded, "I didn't break anything. The doctor said I just strained an abdominal muscle. I'm going to be fine. I'm just supposed to avoid any strenuous activity for awhile."

            "That's all? But you passed out," Vegeta said.

            "I got the wind knocked out of me," Bulma admitted, "plus, I guess I got scared. I really thought I had broken something." She paused, as her smile grew brighter. "But, I'm glad you were there. If you hadn't turned off that machine, I might have really gotten hurt."

            Vegeta shrugged, "It was no big deal."

            "Of course, I wouldn't have gotten hurt at all if I hadn't been trying to fix that machine for you."

            "Don't try to blame your injuries on me, woman," Vegeta responded, turning away. Here he had come to check up on her and she was blaming the entire incident on him.

            "Wait, Vegeta!" Bulma called. She jumped out of bed and hurried over to him, placing her hand upon his arm.

            "Should you be out of bed?" Vegeta asked.

            "I'm fine," Bulma replied, "Look, I was just kidding. I know I should have made sure that the controls were turned off first. I am really thankful that you were there to turn off the machine and carry me back to my room. That was really sweet of you."

            Vegeta snorted, but glanced at the delicate hand upon his arm. "If I had known that the machine was already on, I would have turned it off beforehand," he said.

            "I believe you," Bulma softly replied, leaning closer.

            "What are you doing?"

            "I just want to thank you," she whispered as her lips brushed his.

            Vegeta didn't wait for any more of an invitation as he leaned forward to kiss her. It was like the night outside of her bedroom, except Bulma wasn't pulling away this time. Vegeta broke the kiss first as he looked into her face.

            "Vegeta?" 

            "Let's get one thing straight," he said, trying to sound stern, "I am not like that Yamcha. I do not care about having an emotional relationship. I don't even pretend I do. I don't ask for anything nor do I give anything. Do you understand?" 

            Bulma nodded, as she leaned closer to him. 

            "By the way," Vegeta said with a slight small, "I thought the doctor said 'no strenuous activity.'"

            "I'll risk it," Bulma responded mischievously.

************

            Vegeta recognized the irony of the situation. Bulma had spent so much time trying to convince Yamcha and her parents that there was nothing between her and Vegeta. Yet, by the time she had almost convinced her parents, there was something. He almost laughed aloud in the confines of the gravity room.

            So far, Vegeta didn't think the Briefs were aware of his and Bulma's relationship. It wasn't that they were trying to hide it, but they weren't exactly advertising the fact either. Vegeta arose early each morning to begin training and usually did not finish until after the others had gone to bed.  The few times that he and Bulma came into contact during the day, they acted the same as they had before. He liked the pattern of training by day and spending his nights with Bulma. During the last couple of months, his training and concentration and improved considerably.

            In the middle of his regimen, the gravity machine suddenly shut off. He was about to try and turn it back on when he noticed Bulma standing in the doorway. "How did you shut off the machine?" he asked.

            She held up a small device that looked like a television remote. "I made this after that time I nearly got crushed in here," she said, her voice strangely flat. "Just in case it ever happened again. This is just the first time I've ever used it. I had been wondering if it would work." She looked down at the device as if studying it.

            "It works," Vegeta said, "Now, I need to get back to training."

            Instead of taking the hint, she stepped inside the gravity room. "We need to talk," she said.

            "We can talk later," Vegeta insisted, "Now get out of here before I turn the gravity machine back on. You know what happened last time."

            "Let's get married!" Bulma suddenly exclaimed.

            "What? What are you talking about, woman?"

            "We should get married," Bulma continued, "Nothing has to change. Our lives would be the same as they are now."

            "So if nothing has to change, why should we get married?" Vegeta asked.

            "Vegeta, this is really important to me."

            "But I don't understand why," Vegeta said, "I told you before I wasn't interested in an emotional relationship. Now, why don't you -"

            "I'm pregnant," Bulma interrupted.

            "What?"

            "Pregnant!" Bulma repeated, "Need me to spell it out for you? P-R-E-G-N-A-N-T!"

            "How did that happen?"

            "Funny you should ask, because the last time I checked you were very much an active participant in the process!"

            "That's not what I meant," Vegeta said, "and you know it. Weren't you doing anything to prevent this?"

            Bulma faltered for a moment. "Is that all you can say to me?" she finally asked, tears in her eyes. "I guess I should have known." Turning, she fled from the room.

            Vegeta watched her leave and it was at that moment that he decided he would leave the Earth to finish his training. A part of him wanted to leave right away, there was after all a Capsule Corp ship right on the front lawn, but he waited. Throughout the months of Bulma's pregnancy, he trained yet he remained aware of what was happening. It was not an easy pregnancy by any stretch of the imagination. After an instance of hemorrhaging, Bulma had been forced to spend the final 3 months on complete bed rest.  Finally, one day her parents rushed her to the hospital and a few days later they returned: Bulma carrying her newborn baby son in her arms.

            When no one was around, Vegeta made his way to the nursery to examine the child, but was disappointed. This boy's hair was light in color and his eyes the same vivid blue as Bulma's. There wasn't even a tail to be found. By his appearance, no one could tell that this child had the blood of a Saiyan Prince running through his veins. The boy, whom Bulma had named Trunks, appeared as human as any of the Briefs. He probably was as weak at they were too. 

            Shaking his head, Vegeta left Capsule Corp and boarded the ship. He had training in space to do.

************

            It would be some time before Vegeta returned. The training in space had gone well in that he had become a Super Saiyan and he returned to Earth in time to battle the androids and Cell. After the final battle, in which Kakarott had lost his life, he had returned to Capsule Corp. Bulma had greeted him by saying that things could never be the same between them.

            But that soon changed.

            As time went on, Vegeta felt a change slowly begin within him. He tried to deny this at first, but slowly it became undeniable. After the fight with Buu, Vegeta had learned that the change hadn't necessarily been a bad thing. He had grown somewhat comfortable with the changes when Bulma decided to test just how comfortable he had become.

************

            "Let's get married."

            "What?" Vegeta asked. He turned to look at her, sitting beside him on the bed. Her eyes were sparkling like a child's looking at her presents on Christmas morning.

            "I asked you to marry me," she said, "Please."

            "We've been through this before, Bulma. By law, we are already recognized as husband and wife we have lived together for so long."

            "I know," Bulma pouted.

            "So why do we need to get married? Are you worried that I'll be unfaithful? I won't. You're my mate and I am not going to cheat on you."

            Bulma wrinkled her nose at the word 'mate'. "You make it sound so animalistic," she complained.

            "But, if it means that much to you," Vegeta began.

            Bulma squealed with happiness as she threw her arms around his neck. "Do you really mean it?"

            "If that's what you want," Vegeta said, "then I agree."

            "I can't believe this!" Bulma exclaimed, jumping up, "There so many things to do. I have to pick out a dress and send the invitations out…"

            Vegeta laughed as she continued with her list of things to do. He couldn't help but wonder what he had gotten himself into. But he never got a chance to find out. It was 10:00 p.m. Friday and Bulma had less than 36 hours to live.

            The following morning, Bulma told her parents who seemed as excited as she was. To celebrate, the Briefs dropped Trunks off to visit Goten as they took the newly engaged couple to a fancy dinner. The meal was excellent, but the real surprise came when two pieces of strawberry shortcake was given to Vegeta and Bulma when the chef heard they were engaged. Bulma ate hers quickly and even ate most of Vegeta's, who couldn't eat the dessert on account he was allergic to strawberries. The evening was absolutely perfect.

            The next morning, Vegeta awoke early and went downstairs to train before breakfast, but he couldn't stop smiling. Perhaps he should have agreed to marry Bulma sooner, he thought as he trained. Finally, he finished his morning routine and went to the kitchen for breakfast.

            Mrs. Briefs was just putting breakfast on the table when he entered the room. "Oh, Vegeta," Mrs. Briefs said, "Will you go upstairs and wake up Bulma? She seems to be quite a sleepy head this morning." She giggled as she poured a hot cup of coffee for her husband.

            Vegeta nodded and went upstairs. "Bulma," he said, as he opened their bedroom door, "It's time to-" He stopped talking the moment his eyes fell upon her.

            She was lying in the middle of their bed; the sheet twisted around her body, as he eyes stared up at the ceiling. Her mouth was open, but her breath was weak and shallow. "Bulma!" he screamed running over to her and taking her hand in his. Her body was stiff and rigid. "We need some help up here!" he yelled downstairs.

            "Ve, Ve, Ve-ge-ta," Bulma stammered.

            "I'm here," he said, "I'm right here." He leaned over her so that he could look into her eyes, but he knew that she could no longer hear him or see him. Dr. Briefs ran in, took one look at his daughter, and immediately dialed 911 on the bedroom phone.

            By the time she reached the hospital all that could be done was to pronounce her DOA at 9:35 a.m.

************

            The fire had gone out completely, but Vegeta was shaking not from the cold but from the memories. He still couldn't believe it. Any minute now, he half-expected to wake from this nightmare to find Bulma, still alive and well, lying by his side. If only there had been some way to save her. 

            The sun was slowly rising outside, so Vegeta stepped out of the cave, his body stiff with cold. Stretching slightly, he started flying away from the cave to a place he had been many times before: the M.F. Green Valley Cemetery. Every year since that time, Vegeta came to Bulma's grave on this day. This hadn't been the day she had been buried, that had been two weeks prior, but it was on this day that Vegeta had first came to visit Bulma's plot.

            The dew was just beginning to dry as Vegeta walked up the small hill to Bulma's grave, pausing before the great marble tombstone. Beneath Bulma's name and dates, four words were written: Beloved Daughter and Mother. Those words ate at him because it was his stubbornness that excluded Wife from her positions in life. He ran his fingers over the stone, as if trying to draw strength from it.

            Suddenly, he straightened up and spun around. Someone was watching him, he knew it. Scanning the cemetery, he momentarily froze when he saw a figure dressed in a long black cloak watching him. Something was familiar about this figure, but what? He started walking in that direction.

            The figure seemed to realize that they had been spotted, so they turned and began to run, but their speed was no match for Vegeta's. He sped up and quickly caught up to the figure, which he knocked to the ground.

            "Ow!" said a feminine voice as the hood fell back. This cloaked stranger was an attractive woman who appeared to be in her forties or fifties. Her blonde hair was just starting to turn ashy and her blue eyes appeared sharp an intelligent.

            "Who are you?" Vegeta demanded.

            Tears began to streak down the woman's face. "I'm sorry," she cried, "I'm so sorry. I'm the one who killed Bulma Briefs!"

**End Part 2**


	3. The Crossroads of Time

_Author's note: I'm sorry I took so long posting this. I had some computer trouble and had to rewrite over half of this story at one point. Thank you for your patience._ Part 3: The Crossroads of Time 

            The night was far from quiet.

            The steady ticking of the clock echoed like a drum as the constant hum of the cricket and frogs, a usually melodious serenade of the night, roared like an angry beast. Goku lay on his bed as he wondered when the night had gotten so loud.

            Sighing, he sat up in bed and ran an uneasy hand through his black hair. It was almost dawn anyway and it was obvious that he wasn't going to be able to sleep anymore.

            "Goku?" Chichi asked, softly. Her dark eyes glimmered in the dim light as she looked at her husband. "What's wrong?"

            "I just can't forget the way he looked," Goku mumbled, more to himself than to Chichi.

            "What?" Chichi said up in bed and put a worried hand on Goku's shoulder.

            "Vegeta," Goku clarified, "I can't forget the way he looked – or what he said. I shouldn't have left when I did."

            Chichi sighed. "Why are you letting this bother you so much?"

            "I should have listened," he continued, "He needed to talk, but I left. I told him I couldn't listen to the end, but I should have tried." He got out of bed began to get dressed.

            "What are you doing?" she asked.

            "I'm going to see Vegeta."

            "What? Now? But it's the middle of the night."

            "It's almost dawn," Goku answered, "Besides, I have a feeling that Vegeta's not asleep anyway."

            Without saying another word, Goku left the room and stepped outside in the rapidly fading night. Quietly, he flew towards the mountain cave where he had last saw Vegeta. "I wasn't ready before," he whispered, "but I'm ready to listen this time."

            As if on cue, Vegeta stepped from the cave. He didn't seem to notice Goku as he started to fly in the opposite direction.

            Goku could have caught up to him easily – Vegeta wasn't flying very fast – or he could have called out to him. Yet, Goku did neither. He just followed from a constant distance, curious as to Vegeta's destination. However, when the cemetery came into view, he no longer had to wonder.

            As Vegeta gazed at Bulma's grave, Goku hovered above, feeling somewhat helpless. _I'll talk to him when he's done_, Goku thought to himself as he watched.

            All at once, Vegeta spun around and started off and Goku saw a dark figure began to run. Vegeta easily knocked the individual down and the figure's hood fell back. As Goku landed and approached the two, he was surprised to see that this stranger was a woman.

            "I'm sorry," she cried, "I'm so sorry. I'm the one who killed Bulma Briefs!"

            "What?" Vegeta roared. He grabbed the collar of her cloak and lifted her up from the damp grass. "What did you say?"

            "Vegeta!" Goku called out, rushing over to them.

            "Kakarott, what are you doing here?" Vegeta demanded.

            "I came to talk to you," Goku explained, quickly, "but that's not important." His gaze turned to the woman.

            "Did you hear what she said?" Vegeta asked. 

            "Yeah, I heard."

            "Then she should die!"

            Tears began to flow down the woman's pale cheeks as she watched Vegeta with frightened eyes. Yet, she neither struggled nor begged for her life. Something about her demeanor confused Goku.

            "Wait, Vegeta," he said, softly. He looked at the woman closely. "You killed Bulma?" he asked, "But why? How?"

            "I didn't now what I was doing!" the woman cried, "I wouldn't have done it if I had known!"

            "Answer his question!" Vegeta yelled, shaking her by the collar.

            "Please," she whimpered, "Just let me tell you my story."

**************

            The small white house was very neat and tidy, but somewhat impersonal. The flowers outside seemed to be planted there only because it looked appropriate and not because the homeowner particularly liked the blossoms. Inside was the same story. Everything seemed to be exactly in its proper place, but more like the setting for a play rather than a real home. Goku looked around and noted their a few pleasant looking paintings on the walls in the appropriate locations, but not a single personal photograph. Didn't this woman have any friends or family?  He sat down on a small couch in the living room, careful not to disturb the perfectly arranged cushions while Vegeta chose to stand nearby. Meanwhile the woman, who had introduced herself only as Melissa, rummaged in the small kitchen.

            "Would you like some tea or coffee?" she asked.

            "No thanks," Goku responded. He liked to eat, but he had never been that much of a tea or coffee drinker.

            "We're not here for a tea party," Vegeta growled.

            "Of course," Melissa responded, humbly. She came into the living room carrying a glass of ice water and sat down in nearby chair.

            Goku watched Vegeta carefully. It had been a volatile situation at best since Melissa had blurted out her confession. Vegeta had wanted to kill her right then and there, and Goku had understood how he felt in a way. Still, a part of him knew they had to hear Melissa's story. It hadn't been easy, but he had convinced Vegeta to listen, at least for now.

            Melissa cleared her throat and looked directly at Vegeta. "I've watched you before," she blurted out, in lieu of an introduction.

            "You did seem familiar to me," admitted Vegeta, "but why were you watching me."

            "Ever since I found out that I was responsible," Melissa started, tears welling up in her already swollen eyes, "I went to her grave. I saw you there, but I didn't have the courage to face you. I just watched from a distance. I think a part of me wanted you to see me. I don't know. I wanted to apologize. I figured out when you visited the grave, and I watched you each time."

            "Well, now's your chance," Vegeta said, gruffly, "but don't expect my forgiveness."

            "I don't," Melissa said softly. 

            "But how is it your fault?" Goku asked, "How are you responsible?"

            She wiped her eyes with a nearby tissue and took a deep breath. "I never knew my father," she began, "When I was young, I would ask my mother about him. She would just always say that she was my mother and my father. When I got older, I thought that maybe my mother had been raped or maybe my father was a married man." She smiled bitterly. "I had a million different stories about this man who didn't even seem to exist."

            "What does this have to do with Bulma?" Vegeta demanded.

            "Everything I'm afraid," Melissa responded, "For you to understand my actions you have to understand my story. But, you must understand. I'm not like one of those people you see on talk shows." She gestured with one hand towards the small television set in the far corner of the room. "I didn't know my father, but I don't blame all my life's mistakes on that. I did well in school, was never really in any trouble, and was once one of the top scientists in the country. Yet, it felt like a part of me was missing. I tried to ignore that and eventually even gave up on ever knowing who my father was. Then, when I was thirty-two, my mother died of cancer. On her deathbed, she finally gave me the first clue as to who my father was."

**************

            Melissa looked out the third story window and felt her breath catch in her throat as the beautiful scene that stretched out before her. The sun was just rising, painting the world with its first beams of liquid gold. Below her, a small park lay, its soft summer grass was still coated with early morning dew, and the blades sparkled like tiny shards of glass. A small mallard lazily swam in the golden pond as tiny birds chirped cheerfully in the nearby trees. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day.

            She turned away from the window, to look at her mother lying on the hospital bed. At one time, her mother's beauty could have rivaled the upcoming day's, but not now. She lay silently in the hospital bed, the cancer aging her far beyond her years. Her once luxurious blonde hair now spread out in a limp, colorless corona about her head. Beneath the sheet, her body appeared to be no bigger than a child's, and the arms, which were exposed appeared painfully bony. Melissa felt a pang of guilt as she gazed at her mother. Only minutes earlier she had been examining the glory of the upcoming day while here her mother lay, the sun of her life preparing to set for the final time.

            She walked over to her mother and looked down at her. "Good morning," she said softly, "Did you sleep well?" Melissa knew the answer before she asked. She had been by her mother's side the entire night and knew that she had to receive several strong pain relievers, besides her morphine drip, before she finally rested. However, the doctors had encouraged Melissa to talk to her mother as much as possible. Although she rarely responded, it was unknown just how much her mother heard and understood.

            Her mother shifted her milky blue eyes towards Melissa for a moment, as if recognizing her, but soon turned her attention back to the small television set in the upper right corner of the room. Melissa sighed as she also turned towards the television. For some reason, her mother wanted the television on constantly. If it was turned off, she would moan, until it was turned back on once again. Melissa wasn't sure why this was, but kept the television on so as to appease her mother's apparent wish. As she looked at the screen, a tall, sandy-hair reporter appeared in front of a smoldering wreckage that almost looked like a mountain.

            "Although it's too early to tell," the reporter said, "Authorities believe this may have been the secret mountain laboratory of the scientist Dr. Gero. Dr. Gero went underground years ago after questions were raised with his affiliation with a military group. Witnesses said it looked as if the mountain just exploded but, as you can see behind me, there seem to be large chunks of metal among the rock. We'll have more on this story as it develops. Back to you, Miko."

            The camera switched back to the interior of a newsroom where a dark haired woman was sitting at a desk. "Thank you, Yukashii. We will be updating as this story develops. In other news, there seems to be…"

            Melissa spun around, ignoring the newscast when a new sound caught her attention. This low, raspy sound was anything but pleasant and it seemed to be coming from her mother. It took Melissa a moment to realize that the older woman was laughing. "Your father never was very careful," she croaked.

            "What?" Melissa cried.

            "Your father," her mother repeated, "Gero…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes slowly closed.

            "My father!" Melissa turned towards the television and then back to her mother. "Was this Gero my father?"

            Her mother didn't answer. In fact, those words were the last words she ever said in this world.

**************

            "Dr. Gero was your father?" Goku asked amazed.

            "It would seem," Melissa answered. She glanced around the small room. "After Mother died," she continued, "I gave up my apartment and moved here – her home. For a long time, I couldn't investigate what she had told me. There was the funeral to arrange along with other responsibilities." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Then, when I was cleaning the basement so that I could put a lab down there I found my mother's journal. Although my mother never went into the details, even in her own journal, I learned that she had met Gero while working as a new scientist at NewWorld Computech. I guess she loved him, and thought that he loved her. Yet, his work took a different direction than Mother's, so they parted ways. All my mother had of him was me." She stopped talking as the tears rolled down her face and unto the carpeted floor.

            "What does this have to do with Bulma?" Vegeta demanded, "I have been patient, but I didn't come here to hear your life's story."

            "I was getting to that," Melissa said, and Goku winced at the sudden sharpness of her voice. The last they needed was to make Vegeta angrier. "But there was one other thing that my mother did," Melissa continued, "She learned that he had a secret laboratory in the mountains. She wasn't sure where, but she had a general idea. To tell him about me, she journeyed to the mountains, but she didn't find his lab. Instead, she found him at the base of another mountain, under a strange, crooked tree. He was burying a safe of some sort and seemed upset when he saw her there. He told my mother that their relationship was over and he didn't care if he had any children – at least that's what it said in her journal." 

            Melissa stood up and walked over to a nearby window. "I decided to find this safe. I don't know how to explain this, but I still wanted to know something about my father. I had been a confident 32 year-old woman up to that point, but suddenly I felt like a scared little girl again. I knew the only thing I could do was to find that safe.

            "I followed the directions given in my mother's journal and I found the spot she indicated. The police had been combing the area for clues, but the place where Gero had buried his safe was far away from the lab itself. Intent on finding some answer, I found the safe and dug it up. All that was inside was a few hurriedly written directions and small fragment of some sort of being that he had invented. I had no idea what it was – the directions were far too sketchy and there seemed to be some evidence that this sample wasn't complete. Still, I brought it home to my lab and decided to find out what my father had been working on." She turned to face the two Saiyans with a sad expression. "And that is how I recreated the creature known as Cell."

            "What?" Both Vegeta and Goku cried.

            "Of course, I didn't know what it was at the time," Melissa added, "It takes a very long time for the creature to develop."

            "How did you find out?" Goku asked.

            Melissa smiled bitterly. "I had a visitor one night," she answered.

**************

            It was dark night, but not unusually so, and it was not stormy. Yet, even without these elements, Melissa felt as if she had been caught in some sort of old horror movie. She wasn't sure why, and it was certainly an unusual sensations for one as analytical as she was, but she couldn't dispel the feeling. Shivering slightly, she made herself some tea and decided to settle in with a good book. She was just getting interested in the book when –

            _SCRAPE!_ Melissa jumped from her seat, her book falling to the floor as her breath came in ragged gasps. If was just a branch rubbing against the house, she thought to herself, trying to control her breathing. She bent down to retrieve her book, when she happened to glance out the window and screamed. There was something there – some hideous creature peering in at her. Even in the dim light, she could see that it had green skin, but something appeared to be wrong with it. She was just backing towards the phone, when the creature burst through the window.

            "Help me," it moaned. Now that she could see it closer, she was sure something was wrong with this creature. Its green skin appeared to be melting right before her eyes and it's hands and feet looked shriveled. "Help me."

            "Who," Melissa began, "What are you? What do you want?"

            "Help," it repeated, "You must help. I'm dying."

            "Why should I help you?" Melissa demanded.

            The creature smiled slightly. "Because you are the one who created me," it answered. It managed to stand up on it's crippled feet and shuffled over to the frightened Melissa. "I am Cell. You gave me life," the creature continued, "Only you can help me."

            "But I would never," Melissa began, but stopped suddenly. Slowly, her gaze slipped towards the door that led to her basement laboratory. The creature from her father's experiment – surely this couldn't be it.

            Cell smiled as he followed her gaze. "Ah, where I was born," he said.

            "I don't care if I created you," Melissa announced with every ounce of courage she could muster, "I'm not going to help you."

            "If you don't, I'll kill you," Cell growled.

            "But I thought I was the only one who could help you," Melissa retorted.

            Cell narrowed his eyes and started forward, but his feet could no longer support his body. He fell to the floor with a loud thump and it became obvious that he wasn't getting up again. "So this is where it ends," Cell said, with a bitter chuckle, "At least I killed that meddling Briefs woman. Used her own time machine to kill her. They knew I was around in my time, but not here. No one suspected." He smiled at her. "And I have you to think for that."

            "What are you talking about?"

            "I tried to kill both of him, but the poison didn't work on Vegeta. Maybe, he just didn't like strawberries." He laughed again. "At least I did kill her though. She deserved it the way she bragged about how it was her machine that destroyed me." With a final, bitter laugh, Cell died, melting into the plush carpet as thick, green goo.

            Both relieved and scared, Melissa slumped to the floor and looked down at Cell's final resting spot. Suddenly, she knew more about her father than she ever could have wanted to.

**************

            "I don't understand," Goku said, "What did Cell mean about the time machine and how did he kill Bulma?"

            "I didn't understand it all at first myself," Melissa said. "Of course, I had heard of Ms. Brief's death but I didn't understand how that creature had been the one to kill her. However, in the next few weeks, I was about to piece it together.

            "Obviously, Cell continued to grow in my lab downstairs. When he was finished growing, he was determined to kill all of you. Yet, he soon found he had another target. Have either of you read any of the articles that Bulma submitted before her death?"

            Both Saiyans shook their heads. "I could never understand them," Goku admitted.

            "The articles are meant for the scientific community," Melissa said, "The general public usually can't understand them. Anyway, in a very controversial article, she talked about time travel. She claimed that it was her time machine that helped defeat a monster at a great battle. There was an uproar in the scientific community about it. There was no proof of it and it sounded more like a fantasy novel than a magazine article. It she hadn't been the daughter of Dr. Briefs, I doubt it would have been published at all. Still, when I read it again I realized that this monster was Cell. It seems that Cell read this same article and figured it out as well."

            "But what about the time machine?" Goku questioned.

            "From what he said, I think that somehow you guys discovered his existence. He couldn't fight against you, so he decided to travel back in time to catch you by surprise. However, I don't know where he got the time machine from."

            "Bulma was building a new one," Vegeta spoke up.

            "She was?" Goku was surprised.

            "She said she wanted to see if she could," Vegeta explained, "I told it was foolish since she had built it in one timeline, but she wanted to try it anyway. She wanted to make this one even better."

            "That explains the time machine," Melissa said. She walked over to a small bookshelf and retrieved a vial. "I found this after Cell disintegrated. It's contains a powerful poison that it impossible to detect unless you are looking for it. The victim just appears to have had a heart attack. I suspect he got it from the future. It sounds like he planted this in some food that Bulma ate. He was confused that it had no effect on you, however." She directed her last comment towards Vegeta.

            "He didn't know I was allergic to strawberries," Vegeta mumbled.

            "What?" Goku asked.

            "Nothing," Vegeta answered quickly. "What did you do with the Cell that was in you lab?"

            "I destroyed it, of course."

            "Which leaves us right back to square one," growled Vegeta. He walked over to Melissa and grabbed her collar again. "I don't care how or why, but you are still responsible for Bulma's death!"

            "She didn't know," Goku quickly intervened, "She wouldn't have done it on purpose."

            "And it's your fault too, Kakarott!"

            "Me? What did I do?"

            "I wanted to wish her back," Vegeta answered, "with the dragon balls. Do you remember that? You told me it couldn't be done, but it could have. You stopped me from bringing Bulma back to life!"

            Goku opened his mouth, but quickly closed it again. Hurt was clearly stamped in his dark eyes. "You're right," he said, "I did do that. I'm sorry."

            "Sorry doesn't bring Bulma back does it!" yelled Vegeta.

            "No, I guess it doesn't," Goku replied.

            With a roar, Vegeta shoved Melissa down onto the floor and stormed out of the house. Goku followed him outside, and was surprised to see him standing there, looking up at the sky. "Vegeta," Goku began cautiously.

            "I thought it was my fault," Vegeta said, tonelessly.

            "What?"

            "She had trouble when she was pregnant with Trunks," Vegeta answered, "Then when she started the whole marriage thing again, I should have realized she was pregnant. If I had known, I thought I might have been able to save her."

            "You couldn't," Goku said, "It's not your fault."

            Vegeta started away. "I _am_ going to save her this time," he stated.

            "But how? You can't wish people back to life after they have been dead for over a year, even if they were killed."

            Spinning around, Vegeta faced Goku. "I listened to you once when you told me there was no way," he said, "I'm not listening this time. There must be a way to save her and I am going to find it." Without saying another word, Vegeta took off, flying away from Goku.

            Goku watched him as he flew away. "If there is a way," he whispered, "I hope you find it."

**End Part 3**


	4. One Last Chance

****

Part 4: One Last Chance

Mrs. Briefs was watering the flowers in her front yard when Vegeta landed at Capsule Corp. He had no idea why she was bothering with the flowers: the weather was turning colder and the first real frost of the season was expected any day now. Still, she went right on cheerfully watering the flowers, as it was a warm summer's day and not the end of fall.

"Hello Vegeta," she greeted him, her smile never faltering, "How are you today?" She spoke she had just seen him the day before, which surprised Vegeta.

"Where is Dr. Briefs?" he asked, "Which hospital is he in?"

"Oh, he's not in the hospital anymore," she replied, "He got out just this morning and he's in his lab, I think. I hope he's not smoking again. I told him that all that smoking wasn't good for him and did you know it gives you wrinkles. I never wanted to smoke after what I saw what it did for my Aunt Lilly. She was…" 

Vegeta left her prattling along as he went inside to look for Dr. Briefs. Since leaving Melissa's home earlier, Vegeta had thought long and hard as he tried to figure out a way to save Bulma. Finally, he thought of something that might work. There was no way to be sure, but he was determined to try.

He stepped inside Dr. Briefs' lab and found the older scientist sitting in front of his computer, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. At the sound of Vegeta's footsteps, Dr. Briefs quickly put out the cigarette and whirled around, probably expecting to see his wife standing there. His face darkened when he saw that his visitor was Vegeta.

"Oh," he said in a hoarse tone, "It's you."

Vegeta didn't respond at first. He knew that Dr. Briefs held him fully responsible for Bulma's death, and the fact that Vegeta had left before the funeral didn't help matters in the least. "I didn't think you were supposed to smoke anymore," Vegeta finally said.

Dr. Briefs shrugged. "I'm an old man and I've already lost a lot in my life," he responded, "I don't think giving up these old cancer sticks are going to make that much of a difference. So, what are you doing here?"

"Kakarott and I learned some interesting things today," Vegeta answered, "about Bulma."

All the color drained from Dr. Briefs' face at the sound of his dead daughter's name as his eyes filled with tears. "What about her?" he managed.

As Vegeta launched into the story that Melissa had told him, Dr. Briefs began to tremble. With a shaking hand he got another cigarette out of a hidden pack and lit it. After taking a couple of long drags, he still looked as if he was about to cry, but he seemed a bit calmer.

"So," he said once Vegeta was finished, "This Melissa recreated Cell and he is the one who killed my Bulma."

Vegeta nodded. "That's what it looks like."

Dr. Briefs stood up and walked a few steps towards Vegeta. "And just what is that supposed to change?" he demanded, anger creeping into his normally calm voice, "Bulma is still gone. There's no way to change that. It's too late to wish her back."

"But there still may be a way to save her," Vegeta said.

Dr. Briefs' eyes grew wide. "What? Are you serious?"

Vegeta nodded. "I don't know if it will work," he added, "but I'm going to try. However, I will need you help." Vegeta inhaled deeply. It was still hard for him to ask for help, even in a serious matter such as this. Normally, he would have just demanded the assistance, but Dr. Briefs had already lost so much that threats probably would have little effect.

Dr. Briefs took a final drag of his cigarette before crushing in an ashtray that was hidden in a drawer. "What do you need me to do?" he asked.

After Vegeta explained his plan to Dr. Briefs, he left the old scientist alone in his lab. He still had a few things he had to do before he could set his plan into motion. Stepping out into the hallway, he turned only to see Trunks standing a few feet away from him.

For a few minutes, the two silently stared at one another and Vegeta could almost hear the 'stand-off' music from one of the ridiculous westerns Dr. Briefs seemed to like so much. He shook his head slightly, pushing back the image of a rolling tumbleweed, as he looked at his son. Trunks had grown a few inches since he had last seen him, causing him to look too skinny and awkward. His eyes were blazing and Vegeta could feel the anger rolling in waves from his son. "Trunks," Vegeta finally said in way of a greeting. He didn't know what, if anything, he should add. To ask, "How are you doing?" seemed somehow insensitive.

"What are you doing here?" Trunks demanded.

Vegeta paused. He didn't want to tell Trunks of his plans to save Bulma. What if the plans didn't work – then the boy would have to go through all the pain again. "I just stopped by," he lied.

"Why?" Trunks asked, "No one here wants to see you."

"Trunks," Vegeta repeated, "There's…"

"Why did you come back?" Trunks cried, tears streaming down his face, "Why? I hate you!" After his explosive declaration, Trunks turned and ran away from Vegeta, his cries echoing in the hallway.

Vegeta stood there as he watched Trunks run away. At one time, he would have thought he would be furious if Trunks had declared that he hated him, but he wasn't angry. Instead, it just made him more determined than ever to save Bulma.

Dr. Briefs was standing in the doorway to his lab; he had been watching the conflict between Vegeta and Trunks. Turning slightly, Vegeta made eye contact with the old man. "We have some work to do," he said.

"Yes," Dr. Briefs agreed, "But, what if this doesn't work."

"That's not an option," Vegeta announced as he walked out of Capsule Corp and flew away.

**************

The next few days went by almost painfully slow as Vegeta put his plan together. Finally, four days after speaking with Dr. Briefs, everything was ready. Together on the ground were six dragon balls and the seven was in his hand. In his other hand was the Dragon Ball Radar, which had been fixed by Dr. Briefs. An envelope and a vial were tied unto a small belt. He took a deep breath – it was finally time to go.

"Vegeta!" a voice called out.

Vegeta turned around. "Kakarott? What are you doing here?"

Goku had been flying above by now landed on the ground next to Vegeta. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Holding out the seventh dragon ball, Vegeta said, "I'm going to save Bulma!"

"But I already told you that you can't wish her back. She's been dead for too long." Goku's face fell slightly, no doubt still blaming himself for telling Vegeta they couldn't wish her back when they could.

"I'm not going to wish her back to life," Vegeta replied, "I'm going to go back in time to save her!"

"Can you do that?"

"I don't see why not."

"But won't it just create another timeline?" Goku asked, "Like when Trunks traveled from the future?"

"There are already at least two timelines," Vegeta explained, "Cell traveled from the future to kill Bulma. But, I think if I could save Bulma, then maybe this timeline will have never even happened. Besides, I'm going to use the dragon balls to go back in time and not a time machine."

"Do you think this will work?"

"There's only one way to find out," Vegeta replied, "You never did answer my question: what are you doing here?"

"Mrs. Briefs called," Goku answered, "And said you were up to something. She thought you had gone crazy."

"Oh," Vegeta said, "I thought you were just following me again."

Goku smiled slightly and held out his hand. "Good luck."

Vegeta considered Goku's outstretched hand for a moment. At one time, he wouldn't have even dreamed of shaking hands, but a lot had changed. Taking Goku's hand, he shook it one time. "Thanks."

Turning, he threw the seventh dragon ball on the ground with the others. The sky grew dark as lightening bolts danced about. Finally, the dragon appeared before the two Saiyans.

"What is your wish?" Shenlon demanded.

"I want to go back in time," Vegeta responded, "To the morning just before Bulma died. After five minutes, I want to return here."

"An unusual request," Shenlon said, "But so be it."

Vegeta disappeared completely from sight and didn't reappear until his five minutes were up. He seemed a bit stunned from the trip.

"Did it work?" Goku asked.

Before Vegeta could respond, the ground beneath began to shake like the mightiest of earthquakes was upon them. The sky became ebony as the winds began to howl. "I think so!" Vegeta responded

"What's going on?" Goku yelled.

"This timeline is being erased," Vegeta answered, "It never even happened. It never happened." Vegeta smiled as the darkness enveloped everything.

**************

Vegeta awoke early and went downstairs to train before breakfast, but he couldn't stop smiling. Perhaps he should have agreed to marry Bulma sooner, he thought as he trained. Finally, he finished his morning routine and went to the kitchen for breakfast.

Mrs. Briefs was just putting breakfast on the table when he entered the room. 

"Oh, Vegeta," Mrs. Briefs said, "Will you go upstairs and wake up Bulma? She seems to be quite a sleepy head this morning." She giggled as she poured a hot cup of coffee for her husband.

"Bulma," Vegeta called out, as he opened the door to their bedroom, "Are you up?" Bulma was sitting in their bed and Vegeta instantly noticed how pale she looked. "Are you okay."

She managed a weak smile. "I'm fine now," she said, "Thanks to you."

Vegeta was confused. "What are you talking about?"

Bulma frowned slightly. "Weren't you in here a minute ago?" Vegeta shook his head. "I could have sworn you were right here. You kissed me."

"I was in the gravity room training until a few minutes ago," Vegeta explained, "When I went to breakfast, your mother asked me to come and wake you."

"How strange," Bulma mused, "I guess it must have been a dream." She turned to Vegeta, her eyes sparkling and he was relieved to see the color coming back to her cheeks. "I was lying here in bed when suddenly, it became hard for me to breathe. It was like there was a strong hand in my chest just squeezing my lungs and heart. I tried to call out to you, but I couldn't.

"But then, you were right there. You looked different – you weren't wearing those clothes but that wasn't all. You looked older somehow too, but I knew you were there to save me. I closed my eyes and I felt something cool upon my lips. It was like a soft, sweet kiss and soon the pressure began to fade from my chest. I could breathe again. I opened my eyes, but you were gone."

"You had to be dreaming," Vegeta insisted.

"I guess," Bulma said, "it seemed so real. You say breakfast is ready?"

"Yeah, it's already on the table."

"Then let's eat! I have a million things to do for the wedding. I never knew there was so much to plan."

She continued to talk about the wedding as they walked downstairs. Neither of them noticed the small vial that had rolled underneath the nightstand. It was the small vial that had contained the antidote created by Melissa. It was the vial that had touched Bulma's lips – Vegeta's saving kiss.

**************

"Are you sure this is the right house?" Goku asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Vegeta mumbled, but he checked the letter one last time. Right after Bulma's 'dream', Vegeta had found an envelope in the front hallway addressed to him. According to the letter, a scientist by the name of Melissa was recreating Cell in her basement laboratory. This woman was even supposedly the daughter of the now infamous Dr. Gero. Originally, Vegeta had planned to go alone to confront Melissa, but Bulma had told Goku who had wanted to come along.

They landed in the front yard of the small, white house and walked over to the door. Vegeta knocked loudly several times, but no one opened the door.

"Looks like no one's home," Goku said.

"Then we should just blast the whole thing," Vegeta snarled, as he prepared to do so.

"Can I help you?" a woman asked.

Both Vegeta and Goku turned around and saw a blond woman standing there, her arms full of newly bought groceries. "Are you Melissa?" Vegeta demanded.

"Yes. What do you want here?"

"You're the daughter of Dr. Gero?" Goku asked.

Melissa's face paled slightly. "How did you know that?"

"That's not your concern," Vegeta growled, "We've come to destroy Cell."

"Cell?" Melissa voice was genuinely confused, "Who's Cell?"

"A creature created by your father, Dr. Gero," Goku explained, stepping forward slightly so that he would be between Melissa and Vegeta, "We've heard you're growing this creature in your basement."

"Why do you want to destroy it?" Melissa cried, "That's the only thing I have of my father!"

"I would be more concerned about my own life, if I were you," Vegeta said.

"Your father made Cell to destroy all of us," Goku explained, slowly, "This creature might kill a lot of people if it ever came to life again. I know it's all you have of Gero, but I don't think it's worth it, do you?"

Melissa's eyes filled with tears. "I'll show you the creature," she said softly, as she walked over and opened her door. Laying the groceries in the kitchen, she led the two to the basement where she kept her makeshift lab. There, in one of the large containers, Cell grew. He wasn't very big yet, but he was still growing. Vegeta and Goku destroyed Cell, making sure there wasn't a trace of the monster while Melissa watched. Once their job was done, the two Saiyans turned to leave, but Goku paused by Melissa.

"I know you wanted something of your father," he said, softly, "but you have to understand that he wasn't a very good man. You're a good person, so you should just live your life for yourself and not worry about him." Melissa nodded slightly as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

As they were flying home, Goku turned to Vegeta. "Are you going to be at the store this evening, or have you already been fitted for your tux?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your tuxedo; for the wedding. Bulma told Chichi that she wants Gohan and me to be fitted for ours this afternoon. Are you going to be there?"

Vegeta snorted. "I am not going to wear some ridiculous suit."

Goku laughed as he flew ahead. "That's what I thought when I was going to marry Chichi, but you've seen our wedding pictures."

"I'm not going to wear a tux!" Vegeta yelled after him, "Do you hear me, Kakarott?" 

"Whatever you say Vegeta," Goku said, still laughing, "Whatever you say."

****

The End


End file.
